Current UCLA screenwriters knowledge of Professional program

[ecann1]

Not to be morbid, but does anyone know if UCLA's Professional Program in screenwriting is a viable consolation prize for those of us who don't make it into the MFA post-interview? It sounds exciting,and seems like a fair share of success stories have metriculated from the program. Can anyone get in or have we interviewees earned a spot in a highly competitive program? I'm curious to know what the relationships between professor and students are like, the quality of instruction, networking opportunities, etc. Any info from students ot applicants would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[smell_the_glove]

All I know is I can't possibly afford it without financial aid, so it sucks not even really getting the opportunity.

 

[ecann1]

I can't afford it either, but as the program is, I think, $4500 and I was thinking of moving out of NYC anyway, I wondered if it would be feasable to move to L.A. and get a job ASAP. Cuz you know that program is designed for people with day jobs. Not that I have a "skill set" that at all lends itself to anything lucrative, esp. these days.

 

[dharmagirl]

The Professional Program is a great way to go, if you can afford it. The classes are all taught by the same professors (Walter, Ackerman etc.) so that is a huge plus. And the class sizes are small, I think around 10, so you get a lot of 1 on 1 with them. It's not that hard to get in; they take pretty much everyone. As a result, the caliber of fellow writers over all may not be quite at the same level of the MFA program but there are a ton of great writers in there.

A lot of people go through the professional program and then go into the MFA. In our class of 25 there were about 10 from the professional program. To be fair, I also have to mention that I have heard of people going through a year of the PP and still not getting into the MFA.

They also have a competition within the PP every year and if you do well, they post an ad in Variety with your name on it. I know several people who got calls from agents that way.

Just to warn you though, LA is seeing rough times. The recession is hitting hard and a lot of my friends in both careers like film & TV, and also just plain old retail jobs, are losing hours and getting laid off. I'm not saying not to do it; at some point you just have to jump in. But be prepared for what you are getting into.

The professional program is also offered online courses, which might be a good alternative. I know several additional classmates who went that route and rave about it. You have lectures that you watch online and then you chat about scripts in a chat room monitored by a professor. It is not ideal, but at least something to look into.

I didn't do any of these things because I was in New York at the time but I took classes through NYU's Continuing Studies Program. If you are in an area with that type of thing, you may want to go that route. Anything where you can get feedback and have deadlines will help your writing hugely and I think it looks darn good on a resume if you plan to apply to UCLA.

If anyone out there is looking for a good screenwriting prof in NYC go to Michael Zam at NYU. I cannot recommend him highly enough.